Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and opioids is frequently utilized for spinal surgery where somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) and motor evoked potentials (tcMEP) are monitored. Lidocaine infusions can contribute to antinociception and unconsciousness, thus allowing for a reduction in the total dose of propofol. We examined our recent experience with lidocaine infusions to quantify this effect. After institutional review board approval, we conducted a retrospective review of propofol usage in propofol-opioid TIVA (with and without lidocaine) for spine cases monitored with SSEP and tcMEP over a 7 months period. The propofol infusion rate, cortical amplitudes of the SSEP (median nerve, posterior tibial nerve), amplitudes and stimulation voltage of the tcMEP (adductor pollicis brevis, tibialis anterior) were evaluated. The savings of propofol and sufentanil were estimated based on utilization in 50 milliliter (ml) bottles and 5 ml ampules, respectively. 129 cases were evaluated. Propofol infusion rates were reduced with lidocaine infusion from an average of 115-99 μg/kg/min (p = 0.00038) and sufentanil infusions from an average of 0.36-0.29 μg/kg/h (p = 0.0059). This reduction in propofol infusion was also seen when the cases were divided into anterior cervical, posterior cervical, or posterior thoraco-lumbar procedures. No significant differences in the cortical SSEP or tcMEP amplitudes or the tcMEP stimulation voltages used were observed. No complications were associated with the use of the lidocaine infusion. The total estimated drug savings included 104 50 ml bottles of propofol and 5 5 ml ampules of sufentanil. These cases indicate that a lidocaine infusion can be effectively utilized in spine surgery with SSEP and tcMEP monitoring as a means to reduce propofol and sufentanil usage without a negative effect on the monitoring.

Objectives:Clinical trials have reported decreased blood loss with the use of tranexamic acid during joint reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to assess the individual practice implications of tranexamic acid use in joint replacement surgery.Methods:Health records of adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty over a 12-month period were retrospectively reviewed. The treatment group comprised patients who received intravenous tranexamic acid perioperatively. The control group comprised patients who did not receive tranexamic acid.Results:Patients in the treatment group (n = 64) and the control group (n = 99) were well matched for demographics, orthopedic diagnosis, and comorbidities. In-hospital postsurgical mean decreases in hemoglobin concentrations were −4.05 g/dL and −4.94 g/dL in the treatment and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Postsurgical mean decreases in hematocrit levels were −11.2% and −14.2% in the treatment and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Three patients in the treatment group (5%) and 21 patients in the control group (21%) received red blood cell transfusions (p = 0.006). As compared to control, the relative risk of transfusion in the treatment group was 0.23 (95% confidence interval = 0.07–0.76) and the number needed to treat to avoid one transfusion was 7.0 (95% confidence interval = 3.8–14.4). No evidence of thromboembolism or other serious complications were observed in either group.Conclusions:In patients undergoing joint replacement surgery, perioperative administration of tranexamic acid was associated with diminished blood loss and lesser resource utilization.

Weight-based vancomycin dosing before coronary artery bypass grafting or valve replacement results in vancomycin concentrations greater than 15 μg/mL consistently more than does standard 1-g dosing.

Alvimopan is a μ-opioid receptor antagonist used in the post-operative period to decrease rates of post-operative ileus (POI) following radical cystectomy (RC) and thereby shorten length of stay (LOS). Naloxegol is a much less expensive drug of the same class that has yet to be studied for prevention of POI in the peri-operative period. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the differences in LOS and development of POI in patients post-RC who take alvimopan versus those who take naloxegol, with the hope that drug efficacy can be evaluated against the significant difference in cost burden between the two drugs. The study population included all adult patients between 18–89 years of age with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy with urostomy at University of Colorado Hospital. Those patients who received usual post-operative care as well as either alvimopan or naloxegol between September 2011 and December 2017 were selected for analysis. Patients who did not take either medication or were switched from one drug to the other were excluded from the study. A zero-truncated binomial regression analysis was used to analyze differences in length of stay in patients who received alvimopan versus those who received naloxegol. Additionally, the incidence of post-operative ileus was compared between treatment groups. 130 patients who underwent RC and received either alvimopan or naloxegol were included in the study: 75 (58%) received alvimopan and 55 (42%) received naloxegol. Baseline characteristics were similar between treatment groups. There was no significant difference in the length of stay between patients who received alvimopan and patients who received naloxegol after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, length of surgical time, or stage of disease (p = 0.41). There was no significant between the two drugs for development of POI (p = 0.85). Development of POI was significantly associated with a longer LOS (p = 0.007). The analysis showed that naloxegol was comparable to alvimopan when it came to length of hospital stay following RC. Therefore, naloxegol may be offered as a less expensive, effective alternative to alvimopan.